Moss, Marshall Thunder Montana

Marshall, a perennial NCAA Division I-AA runner-up, imported receiver Randy Moss from Florida State and quarterback Eric Kresser from Florida to get it over the championship hump this season.

Mission accomplished.

Moss caught nine passes for 220 yards and four touchdowns and Kresser was 18 of 28 for 324 yards and four touchdowns Saturday as the Thundering Herd beat Montana 49-29 for the title.

“I’m not sure anybody in our division could beat Marshall University today,” Montana coach Mick Dennehy said. “They are to be commended. Marshall has too many weapons. Nobody during the season had an answer for Moss. We didn’t have an answer for Moss today.”

Marshall avenged a 22-20 loss to Montana (14-1) in last year’s championship game, broke the Grizzlies’ 21-game winning streak and became only the second I-AA team Georgia Southern was the first in 1989 - to win the title with a 15-0 record.

And Marshall, headed to the Division I-A Mid-American Conference next season, finished a more palatable 2-4 in I-AA title games, also winning in 1992 while losing in 1988, 1991, 1993 and 1995.

Second-seeded Marshall, of the Southern Conference, and top-seeded Montana, of the Big Sky, seemed only separated by a couple time zones entering the game at Marshall Stadium. Both teams had drubbed opponents regularly and had eerily similar statistics. For instance, each had scored 609 points.

But the Herd quickly asserted superiority.

On the first play of the game, Kresser lofted a ball deep for Moss. Montana cornerback Billy Ivey, about 6 inches shorter than Moss, could do nothing but hang onto the receiver, getting whistled for interference.

Seven plays later, Moss shielded Ivey from the ball in the end zone for a 19-yard reception and a 7-0 lead.

Moss added a 70-yard touchdown later in the half, blowing by two Montana defensive backs and taking Kresser’s spiral for a 20-0 lead. A play earlier, linebacker Larry McCloud had stripped the ball from Montana quarterback Brian Ah Yat, and linebacker John Grace recovered at the Herd 30, killing a promising Grizzlies drive.

Montana did have one flicker of hope, scoring on 40- and 27-yard field goals just prior to halftime to cut it to 23-6 at intermission. But Marshall, which blew a 28-0 lead over Youngstown State in the ‘92 title game before coming back to win, turned to its talented transfers to put it away.

On the second play of the third quarter, Kresser, a senior, read blitz and threw a short pass to Moss. Moss weaved across the field, down the sideline and broke a tackle at the 5 for a 54-yard score.

“They were determined,” Marshall first-year coach Bob Pruett said of his players. “They felt they let an opportunity slip away a year ago. They weren’t going to let it happen today.”

Moss put the exclamation point on the rout at the beginning of the fourth quarter, taking a 28-yard pass into the end zone, then running up a snowy earthen embankment and into the clutches of exuberant Herd fans.

“Moss,” Dennehy said, “is the finest I’ve seen in 24 years of coaching.”

Montana All-America linebacker Jason Crebo said he was “speechless” about Moss.

“We haven’t seen a player like that all year,” Crebo said.

Marshall 49, Montana 29

Marshall 14 9 16 10 - 49 Montana 0 6 0 23 - 29

First quarter

Mar-Moss 19 pass from Kresser (Openlander kick), 5:47.

Mar-Chapman 61 run (Openlander kick), 12:51. Second quarter

Mar-Moss 70 pass from Kresser (kick blocked), :52.

Mar-FG Openlander 20, 6:46.

Mon-FG Larson 40, 9:55.

Mon-FG Larson 27, 14:45. Third quarter

Mar-Moss 54 pass from Kresser (Openlander kick), :55.

Mar-Chapman 9 run (Openlander kick), 9:57.

Mar-Safety, intentional grounding by Ah Yat in the end zone, 11:26. Fourth quarter

Mar-Moss 28 pass from Kresser (Openlander kick), :09.

Mon-Douglass 4 pass from Ah Yat (Neil pass from Ah Yat), 4:08.

Mon-Branen 2 run (Douglass from Ah Yat), 7:51.

Mar-FG Openlander 37, 10:42.

Mon-Paffhausen 18 pass from Ah Yat (Larson kick), (12:51).

A-30,052.

Mar Mon First downs 21 31 Rushes-yards 36-217 35-95 Passing 324 335 Comp-Att-Int 18-28-0 36-55-1 Return Yards 30 16 Punts-Avg. 5-38.8 4-42.5 Fumbles-Lost 0-0 2-1 Penalties-Yards 9-79 8-49 Time of Possession 28:47 31:13 Individual statistics

RUSHING-Marshall, Thomas 20-114, Chapman 15-104, Kresser 1-(minus 1). Montana, Branen 19-101, Gales 3-20, Paffhausen 1-8, Ah Yat 12-(minus 34).

PASSING-Marshall, Kresser 18-28-0-324. Montana, Ah Yat 36-55-1-335.

RECEIVING-Marshall, Moss 9-220, Martin 5-49, White 2-26, Chapman 1-22, Wicks 1-7. Montana, Douglass 13-117, Paffhausen 6-48, Olsen 4-65, Erhardt 4-36, Branen 4-20, Pacheco 3-31, Neil 1-13, Woods 1-5.